Chicken is ideal for a ketogenic diet plan because it’s nutritious and easy to make. Preparing smoked chicken legs at home is not an easy task; getting that perfect flavour and texture is our pivotal goal. The key to this recipe is to create an irresistible brine that will leave you and your guests enjoying both sweet and briny smoked chicken. As per various studies, higher protein intake helps to maintain bone mineral density, and the lean protein in chicken is a great source of amino acids, as our body uses amino acids to build muscle tissue.
Try these smoked chicken drumsticks whether you eat them dry or with your favourite BBQ sauce; they are full of flavour. This recipe is simple to cook, and with its taste, no wonder they are a massive hit for the gathering! If you are a chicken lover, try this recipe because these perfect smoked chicken legs, with perfectly crisp skin on the outside and juicy, flavorful meat inside, are a must-try.
What is Food Smoking?
Smoking is a method of cooking, preserving, flavouring, or browning food by exposing it to smoke to infuse flavour into the food. Besides, it also helps keep bacteria-carrying insects away during the drying process. Wood chips are added to the fire to give the food a smoky flavour. Smoking is different from drying; smoking adds flavour to meat, fish, and poultry and provides a small food preservation effect as well. Smoking was initially done to preserve food (including fish). Sadly, although smoked food is tasty, it is not a healthy option. A diet high in smoked foods can lead to cancer.
Tips To Smoke Meat And Stay Healthy
Nothing is as delicious as the smell of a smoky barbecue during summer, winter, or any season. However, smoked meat should be a very occasional indulgence. Here are some tips to stay healthy and enjoy your favourite barbecued meat.
Use hardwood
It is advisable to use resin-free wood like pine and other softwoods. Hardwoods are the only fuel that is less harmful to health.
Consume White Meat
Cooked over an open flame, smoked chicken and turkey meat will also produce HCAs (heterocyclic amines) and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), but they are generally healthier options than red meat.
Don’t Smoke Fish
Although it may seem that smoking fish is a heart-healthier food. However, because of their large surface area and heavy smoking, fish often have high levels of contaminants.
Avoid Overcooking
Avoiding overcooked or charred meat can limit the amount of HCAs and PAHs in smoked meats.
How to Cook Mouth-Watering Smoked Chicken Legs?
Chicken is a high-protein food that can help you achieve healthy glowing skin. Making smoked chicken at home is easy and fun. First, we create a flavorful brine, season it with dry rub then smoke it over apple wood chips in our smoker. A quick sear in hot oil gives your chicken legs an irresistibly smoky flavour and crispy skin.
Ingredients
- Chicken legs – 12
- Olive oil – ½ cup
For Brine
- Brown sugar – 1 cup
- Water – 6 cups of
- Salt – 1 cup
For Dry Rub
- Kosher salt – 1 /2 tbsp
- Onion powder – 1 tsp
- Garlic powder – 2 tsp
- Ginger powder – ½ tsp
- Paprika powder – 1tsp
- Black pepper – ¼ tsp
- Cumin powder – ¼ tsp
- Coriander powder – ¼ tsp
Preparation
How To Make Brine
- Mix 6 cups of water, salt, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Dissolve the salt and sugar by stirring.
- Add the raw chicken legs to a large resealable bag, and then add the brine to the bag and marinate for 45 minutes.
How To Prepare Dry Rub
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dry rub.
Smoked Chicken Legs Making Process
- After 45 minutes in the brine, remove the chicken from the liquid and pat it dry.
- Put olive oil on the chicken and rub it with the dry mixture. Ensure to apply oil and seasoning to the meat and skin separately and to every side.
- Start your smoker/heater up. When preparing, use apple wood chips, but you can use any wood chips you want.
- Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees F. Once your smoker grill is hot, place the chicken legs on the racks and close the lid. Cook them for 2-3 hours.
- Enjoy your smoked chicken legs with your favourite BBQ sauce.
Final Words
Although, smoked food shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities because it can cause health problems. But trying this recipe for smoked chicken legs once in two months is not bad. Chicken is such non-vegetarians’ escape to quick, tasty meat and is ideal for weight loss and is a protein-rich food. This recipe tastes even better with barbecue sauce. Enjoy, and don’t forget to give feedback.
Also Read: Want to try something new try this Indian chicken curry(murgh kari), one of the most crowd-pleasing recipes.
